1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to animal ear tags and, more specifically, to two-piece animal ear tags that can be inserted through the ear of an animal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Briefly, the concept of two-piece prior art ear tags is well known in the art. A typical example of prior art ear tags is shown in the Hayes U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,007. Hayes shows an animal tag and a pin for attaching the tag to the ear of an animal with the tag formed of a resilient material and a solid cylindrical pin formed of a less resilient material. The solid pin has a conical point for piercing the animal's ear and a shoulder for locking into a second portion of the tag.
The Goldberg U.S. Pat. No. 2,940,199 shows a two-piece tag comprising a female and a coacting male part. The female part is provided with an aperture and the male part is provided with a stem and hemispherical head adapted to be force fitted into the aperture in the female part by flexing the female part. Goldberg's tag attaches to an animal's ear through a prepared hole in the animal's ear. The Goldberg tag is made of polystyrene or polyethylene.
The Nichols U.S. Pat. No. 1,347,868 is a two-piece animal identification tag comprising a first member having a tubular shank which forms an annular cutting edge. The tubular shank pierces the animal's ear and is riveted to a washer-like collar.
The Murphy et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,414 shows a two-piece ear tag having a female part and a male part with a hollow stem having a tip of hard plastic with a hole therein for cutting through the animal's ear. A guide pin and a reusable back plate support the hollow stem as it penetrates the animal's ear. The female portion has a boss with a hole for inserting the hollow stem into the hole. Be closing the jaws of the applicator, the spike and stem of the first component are forced through the ear of the animal and through the hole in the second component. By opening of the jaws of the applicator the rigid pin and back plate are removed from within the hollow stem leaving the hollow stem connected to the female portion of the tag.
Another prior art identification tag is shown in the Schofield U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,874. The Schofield patent shows an animal identification tag comprising a pin of rigid material having sharp points on opposite ends. Two tags of synthetic resin are located on opposite ends of the pin. The pin has sharp points at the opposite ends which project beyond the tags. Annular grooves extend around the end portions of the pin and spaced from adjacent points to define a neck of reduced diameter which forms interlocking relationship with the tags.
The Brierley prior art U.S. Pat. No. 3,214,856 shows a two-piece animal identification tag comprising a pair of tabs which lie flat one on each side of the part of the animal to which the tag is attached. One of the tabs has a sharp spike which passes through the animal's ear. The other part of the tag has a hole to receive the spike with the head of the spike locking in the hole to prevent withdrawal of the spike from the hole. Both the spike and the hole are offset from the center of the tab so the tab swings around to disengage from any entanglements.